Selling In A Recession
 | |
|  |
Subscribe to Jim's articles
 | |
|
|  |
 | |
|
| |
 | |||||||
|
Selling In A Recession
What does selling in a recession have to do with the Tampa Bay Rays? Keep reading!
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are going to the World Series this year.
Last year their record was 66-96 and they finished in 5th Pl.
This year their record was 97-65 and they finished 1st Place in the AL Eastern Division.
Playing baseball is more fun obviously when you're winning.
Last year the Tampa Bay Rays spent most of the year losing.
As a professional sales person you're going to spend most of the coming year selling in a recession.
Is there anything to be learned from the Tampa Bay Rays turn around performance during 2008?
I think so.
Joe Maddon is the manager of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Early in spring training he tried to shake things up.
He introduced players to the 9 = 8 theory. The logic went like this. Nine players playing hard for nine innings would result in Tampa Bay being one of the eight playoff teams. 9 = 8!
When you combine Joe's mantra with his very sunny disposition it all came together for the team. Pitcher Andy Sonnanstine said, "Positivity kind of ran through the clubhouse all year - he's a very infectious person."
Here are some things you might try doing as you face the the challenge of selling in a recession head on:
1. Always, always, always, expect the best outcome. You'll get what you expect.
2. Your glass is neither half-empty or half filled - it's overflowing with opportunities.
3. Before every sales call flip the switch on your smile - show me your teeth and I'll show you the money.
4. Have an attitude of gratitude - be thankful for what you have and show your appreciation to people who help you throughout your selling year.
5. Joe Maddon's mantra was 9 = 8. Change the numbers so that your mantra 5 = 5 = 50. Establish a goal of five sales calls everyday, five days a week, for 50 weeks. Change the numbers to fit your business if you must. But as soon as you firm up your numbers you have to think of nothing else if you want to exceed your sales plan during the coming year.
6. If you're like most salespeople, your company will assign you a sales quota. Forget about it! Don't aim for your quota, always aim higher. If you aim higher and come up a little short, you'll still exceed your quota.
7. Stop doing stupid things. Avoid wasting valuable selling time rechecking for voicemails and e-mails. You'll spend less time fighting fires if you don't start them in the first place.
8. Don't accept the first "No" as final. After seven "No's" it's okay to move on to greener pastures.
9. Focus on doing little things for your sales prospects and customers. In sales little things mean a lot.
10. When you're calling on sales prospects for the first time don't lust after 100% of their business because that's what all salespeople do. Praise your sales prospect for the suppliers he has chosen. Ask him for only "1%" of the business and the opportunity to earn the rest.
11. Finally, get excited about your business. If your business doesn't excite you at least fake it during sales calls. Your excitement and enthusiasm are infectious and so is the lack of your excitement and enthusiasm.
It's easy to think you're good when the good times are rolling and the economy is booming.
It's easy to be good when you're selling in a recession if you're focused, disciplined, dedicated, and unwilling to accept lackluster selling results.
It's time to take risks, take chances, and go out on the limb once in a while.
And remember you only need to be a little better to get a lot better selling results when you're selling in a recession.
There's a big difference between hoping and believing!
5 = 5 = 50!
Selling In A Recession - To learn more about this author, visit Jim Meisenheimer's Website.
Like this article? Share it with your friends
 | |
 |
provides other relevant information along witht the main information that led one to the site in the first place
Commented on Selling In A Recession. |
| |
Leave Your Feedback |
 | |
| |||
Dave KurlanDave Kurlan is the founder and CEO of Objective Management Group, Inc., the industry leader in sales assessments and sales force evaluations, and the CEO of David Kurlan & Associates, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in sales force development. Dave has been a top rated speaker at Inc. Magazine's Conference on Growing the Company, the Sales & Marketing Management Conference and the Gazelles Sales & Marketing Summit. He has been featured on radio and TV, including World Business Review with General Norman Schwarzkopf, in Inc. Magazine, Selling Power Magazine, Sales & Marketing Management Magazine and Incentive Magazine. He is the author of Mindless Selling and Baseline Selling – How to Become a Sales Superstar by Using What You Already Know about the Game of Baseball. He created and wrote STAR, a proprietary recruiting process for hiring great salespeople, and he writes Understanding the Sales Force, a popular business Blog and is a contributing author to The Death of 20th Century Selling and 101 Great Ways to Improve Your Life, Volume 2. - Visit Dave Kurlan's Website |
|||
Linda RichardsonLinda Richardson is the Founder and Executive Chairwoman of Richardson, a global sales training and performance improvement company. As a recognized leader in the industry, she has won the coveted Stevie Award for Lifetime Achievement in Sales Excellence and she was identified by Training Industry, Inc. as one of the “Top 20 Most Influential Training Professionals.” Ms. Richardson is credited with the movement to Consultative Selling and is the author of ten books on selling and sales management, including Sales Coaching — Making the Great Leap from Sales Manager to Sales Coach, and Stop Telling, Start Selling. She teaches sales and management at the Wharton Graduate School of the University of Pennsylvania and the Wharton Executive Development Center. Linda is a frequent speaker at industry and client conferences, has been published extensively in industry and training journals, and has been featured in numerous publications, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Nation’s Business, Selling Power, Success, and The Conference Board Magazine. Learn more about Richardson's sales training and performance improvement solutions at http://www.richardson.com web - Visit Linda Richardson's Website |
|||
George LudwigGeorge Ludwig is a recognized authority on sales strategy and peak performance psychology. An international speaker, trainer, and corporate consultant, he helps clients like Johnson & Johnson, Abbott Laboratories, Northwestern Mutual, CIGNA, and numerous others improve sales force effectiveness and performance. Though it's George's strategies and processes that help corporations increase productivity and performance, it's his tremendous energy and dynamism that spark the transformation. Again and again, clients remark on his amazing ability to unleash human capacity and inspire men and women to break out of their comfort zones. The result is a whole new type of salesperson. His customized presentations teach achievers to make stunning advances in their lives. From helping salespeople realize cherished dreams to helping corporations exponentially accelerate revenue streams, George Ludwig leaves audiences and individuals empowered, emboldened, and clamoring for more. George is the best-selling author of Power Selling: Seven Strategies for Cracking the Sales Code and Wise Moves: 60 Quick Tips to Improve Your Position in Life & Business. - Visit George Ludwig's Website |
|||
John PowerJohn Power, founder of Biltmore Franchise Consulting, has extensive experience developing and marketing franchises and business opportunities. He has been in and around franchising for over twenty years. From 1980 through 1990 he conceptualized, organized, and developed the American Video Association. He grew AVA to 2,000 national members, before selling the company it 1990. It was later merged into another home video marketing company. From 2000 to 2005 he worked as a contract marketing and human resources consultant to several local and national companies. In 2005 Mr. Power began working as a franchise development consultant on a full-time basis. Since that time he has helped more than three dozen companies initiate and develop their franchising program. He notes that there are many companies interested in developing a franchise program, and who need his specialized assistance. Mr. Power is a “hands-on” franchise consultant. He said, “I am the ‘nuts and bolts’ person who tends to the details for my clients.” Mr. Power holds a B.S. degree with a major in Marketing. See: www.biltmorefranchise.com You may contact Mr. Power at: jpower@biltmorefranchise.co - Visit John Power's Website |
|||
Staging DivaDebra Gould, aka The Staging Diva®, is President of Six Elements Inc., an internationally recognized home staging company. Inspired by many requests from aspiring home stagers wanting to start similar businesses, Gould created the Staging Diva Home Staging Business Training Program. Gould has trained over 1000 Staging Diva Graduates worldwide to start staging businesses. Buying decorating and selling six of her own homes in four years lead to an interest in real estate staging which she turned into a career with the launch of sixelements.com in 2002. Since then she has staged hundreds of homes in addition to teaching home staging training. Gould is the author of several home staging resources including a series of popular ebooks made up of a Design Guide, Color Guide and Portfolio Guide. For more information about Debra Gould visit stagingdiva.com. - Visit Staging Diva's Website |
|||
Jay Kubassek(Jay's Full Bio: EvanCarmichael.com/jaykubassek) In five years, Canadian-born entrepreneur Jay Kubassek went from selling mufflers at a Midas franchise to revolutionizing Internet marketing with the 2004 launch of CarbonCopyPRO, a online marketing education company, now worth over $20 million with customers in over 160 countries.
As an independent film producer, his upstart film fund Aliquot Films is currently producing a films with Spike Lee and Abel Fererra (starring Ethan Hawke and Dennis Hopper.)
Jay's entrepreneurial spirit is irrepressible. He’s the owner of five companies, a professional speaker and trainer, international real estate developer/investor, extreme sport enthusiast and emerging philanthropist. Jay resides in NYC with his wife Jamie, son Milo and dog Cooper. Visit Jay's official website: www.JayKubassek.com - Visit Jay Kubassek's Website |
|||
|
To learn more about the Evan Elite Author Program please contact us. | |||
